Estimate how long it takes to reach a savings goal from your starting balance, monthly contribution and an indicative return — and see what actually moves the date.
What this tool estimates
This calculator works out roughly how long it takes to reach a savings target — most often a home deposit and the costs around it. Enter the amount you're aiming for, what you already have set aside, what you can add each month, and an indicative interest or return rate. The result is the time to get there, the total you contribute, and the share that compounding adds on top. It is a guide to the timeline, not a forecast of a balance on a date.
What actually moves the date
Three inputs drive the answer, and they don't pull with equal force. The regular contribution does most of the work: lifting what you set aside each month brings the date forward far more reliably than chasing a higher rate, because at deposit-sized balances the return is a modest contributor over a few years. Your starting balance shortens the run from day one. The rate matters at the margin, but it is the input you control least, and the one no one can promise. Compounding here is monthly, with no allowance for tax on interest, so treat the growth figure as a guide.
Use it as a starting point
A savings timeline is one side of the picture; the other is how the deposit is structured and which lender's policy your eventual position fits. Hitting the number a few months sooner can change the lenders available to you, the loan-to-value band, and whether you pay lenders mortgage insurance at all. If the date feels far off, that is the conversation to have early. Book a strategy session and we'll map the saving plan to the finance.
General information only — not personal financial product or credit advice. The estimate is indicative and depends on actual rates, returns, tax and your full circumstances. AeFin is an Australian Credit Representative (CR 464548) of Finsure (ACL 384704).